Movie Review: The Big Short

*Let it be known, where there are reviews, there are spoilers.

Based on the 2010 book of the same title by Michael Lewis, The Big Short follows the events that led to the 2007-2008 financial crisis caused by the U.S. credit and housing market collapse.

Although The Big Short has a considerable all-star cast, locally the movie did not generate much response. Most likely due to its plot, which is more relatable to American citizens, or its subject matter, which non-financial individuals might find too complicated for their taste.

However, even with my limited knowledge of the housing and financial market, the movie did quite well in trying to explain some aspects of it. Using celebrities such as Anthony Bourdain and Selena Gomez, these sudden snippets managed to add some fun and liveliness in what could have been a long and dry 2-hour-plus movie. These bits are fairly short and far in between, but entertaining nevertheless.

As is famous with many Hollywood movies in recent years, The Big Short follows several characters as they each discover the instability of the housing market and the prediction of an immense economical breakdown. The movie swaps between the characters' stories constantly but is still easy enough to follow.

The actor you will probably remember the most after the movie is Steve Carell, who plays Mark Baum. As a well-known comedian, it is hard to identify the constantly angry, cynical hedge fund manager as the same actor in Get Smart and Evan Almighty. But Carell carries his role very well and as his story progresses, you find yourself feeling sympathetic towards him and start believing in his cause to take down the big banks.

Michael Burry (Christian Bale)

The least memorable for me is Christian Bale as Michael Burry, the first to discover the unstable housing market and the one who started the bets against the market. It is not a reflection of him or his real-life character, but perhaps the other roles were much more powerful compared to his somewhat weird yet subdued personality. His way of thinking is really interesting, though, and how he sticks to his guns amidst the pressure from all parties is admirable.

If it wasn't for the many times I have seen Brad Pitt's profile, I would have completely missed him in the movie. He was almost unrecognisable with all his facial hair. Similar to Mark Baum, Brad Pitt's character, Ben Rickert, is also disgusted with the corrupted financial institutions but is less vocal about it (and much more paranoid as seen by his methods of concealment).

Trying to film in the past is always hard, especially when you're filming on the streets and have outside factors interfering and revealing the true year. Here are some goofs that IMDB (the Internet Movie DataBase) noticed from the movie.

I would say that it is an educational movie that documents the unforeseen and highly unexpected fall of one of the most 'secure' markets. Other than that, it is a good documentary of the greed of men and how, as is the case with most political and economical situations in the current world, easy it is to sweep away all morals and principles when huge profits are imminent.

The movie will leave you feeling smart (hey, you actually learnt something historical) yet it will shake your belief in 'the system' as the conclusion will reveal that nothing had changed, even after the complete economy collapse caused by the huge scale of fraud.

Ben Rickert (a.k.a Brad Pitt in the film): If we're right, people lose homes. People lose jobs. People lose retirement savings, people lose pensions. You know what I hate about fucking banking? It reduces people to numbers. Here's a number - every 1% unemployment goes up, 40,000 people die, did you know that?

Movie Review: Angels & Demons

* Where there are movie reviews, there will be movie spoilers.

A hushed battle, hidden from the public, has been going on under our eyes and nose for centuries. A battle almost as old as light versus dark, a battle which involves many great figures, it bears its head once more from slumber to seek vengeance for the slained, for beliefs. It is a battle between faith and science, a battle between the Catholic church and the Illuminati.

No matter the different opinions the world has had over Dan Brown's famous, or infamous, books, 'The Da Vinci Code' and its sequel 'Angels & Demons', you must give credit to his ability to tie religion, art, and history together. No doubt that a lot of research must have been made to ensure that the plot remained believable to the point of being factual and true, as I understood alot of people took it to be.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="217" caption="Angels & Demons (from thecinemasource.com)"][/caption]

Following the success, or rather the major love-hate publicity received, of 'The Da Vinci Code', the filmmakers continued Robert Langdon's educational journey of understanding the church and the many secrets surrounding it. From helping to uncover the secret left by Leonardo Da Vinci and safeguarding the last descendant of Jesus Christ, Robert Langdon (still played by Tom Hanks) now finds himself rushing against time to prevent the slaughter of 4 Preferitis due to become the next Pope and saving the lifes of the people in Vatican City. As per the plot in the previous movie, Robert Langdon and his team follow a series of age-old clues around the city.

It took me a while to get into the mood of the film. I find myself more adaptable to 'The Da Vinci Code' than to its sequel and I had to struggle a few times to get my head out of the whole 'Jesus Christ's biggest secret' and into 'the secret brotherhood of the Illuminati'. Be warned, at the beginnings of the film, you'll be wondering whether you stumbled into the wrong movie theater as it starts off like a spy-cum-scientific film and is spoken mainly in a foreign language.

I think the biggest flaw of this whole film was the foreign language spoken (was it French or Latin, I wonder) in numerous scenes throughout the movie. While those reading the Chinese and Malay subtitles (like me) would understand the dialogue, those who don't will find themselves lost at sea. They really must put the English translation during those scenes, even though some people overseas might understand the language. Think of the entire world, people! :curse:

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="322" caption="Some of the stars in action (from guardian.co.uk)"][/caption]

The plot is, in my opinion, somewhat a bit over the top. I mean, come on, one singular man plotting revenge against a whole city? Killing a renowned scientist, inflitrating a top secret research lab, stealing a scientific matter capable of bombing a whole city, kidnapping four grown men and overpowering the police and Swiss Guard? A bit tad much, don't you think? Even a whole group of masterminds will take days to execute all that and this lone guy does it within a day? :shock: We need more men like this in the army, police force and CSI.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="350" caption="Vittoria Vetra & Robert Langdon searching through a church (from z.about.com)"][/caption]

The movie is kind of like a documentary of the churches in Vatican City. Robert Langdon went to at least five of them in the course of the movie and we even get to see a library of sorts under the city where past books and treasures are kept in well-preserved rooms. There's a scene in this library that is filled with tension and ends with a sort of dark humour. I enjoyed that scene tremendously. :-D

The filmmakers did a mistake!! Well, perhaps it was intentional and perhaps it might escape the viewers' notice but it was soooo obvious to me. The real prepetrator actually revealed himself in one sentence that just sounded odd when he said it. Seriously, the filmmakers need to edit that or rewrite that dialogue. It was a total give-away and instantly aroused my suspicions and I was right!! :victory:

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Ewan McGregor as Camerlengo Patrick McKenna (from hollywood.com)"][/caption]

Aside from that maybe intentional,goof, IMDB (the Internet Movie DataBase) website has not reported any additional goofs. Either the filmmakers did too good a job or IMDB does not want to get involved in the battle that seems to be going on off and on the Net regarding the movie's 'blasphemy' of the church and take on the Illuminati

If you're observant, you can note the difference between the extras and the real people. There was a scene where you can clearly see people gawking at Tom Hanks and the film crew as well as some barriers erected to prevent non-casts coming onto the set.

Personally, I like 'The Da Vinci Code' better but my boyfriend prefers 'Angels & Demons'. He says it's easier to understand.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="288" caption="Conferencing on the next step (from filmofilia.com)"][/caption]

This controversial movie is perhaps a mind-bender for a lot of people but I admire how they are able to put the plot and the movie together even with all the filming restraints against them. Filled with action, tension, beautiful scenes of Vatican City and informative dialogue on religion and history, this film is a must-watch for those who are open-minded enough. You'll be surprised at the ending as the complicated plot becomes even more so, and what you may have thought or deduce throughout the movie will shatter with new unforeseen revelations.

P.S: I'm kind of glad that my religion does not allow statues. Some of the statues and artworks shown in the movie are quite scary to me, no offense.

Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca (a.k.a Patrick McKenna in the film): Open the doors, and tell the world the truth.

Movie Review: Star Trek

* Do I still have to put a warning that there may be spoilers in this post?

"Space...The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise. Her on-going mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life-forms and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before!"

It seems to be a year for origin movies, what with the X-Men Origins: Wolverine just out last month, now we get to see the origins of the crew for one of the  most famous spaceships in all-time history; the Starship Entreprise.

When I first heard that Star Trek was out, I thought, "Oh, it's just another continuation of the TV series or something." I never got a hint on the movie synopsis or the movie trailer. Frankly, I simply wasn't interested in watching it. But..... I'm glad I did. :-))

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="184" caption="Star Trek (from filmofilia.com)"][/caption]

Take the original Star Trek and mix that with some handy-dandy CGI, futuristic vehicles and gadgets plus a dash of modern youngster attitudes and you have yourself a worthy science fiction movie to watch over and over again. For a very mild Trekkie like myself who knew the characters only so-so, it was an eye-opener. How Captain Kirk meet Spock? How did the 'Beam me up, Scotty' phrase came about? Everything you need to know about the team of Captain Kirk is all answered in Star Trek.

It's not serious and full of aliens like I had thought. Well, there are aliens and there are seriousness but the dosage is just right.

Chris Pine, who plays James T. Kirk, captures the arrogance of this trekkie newbie quite well, although I hardly remember Captain Kirk being that much of a windbag, but well, adolescence does make one spiral out of control. Being the hero and all, you get to encounter every scene imaginable, from being isolated on a somewhat deserted planet to puffing up like a toad while trying to sneak onboard the Enterprise and all the way to having to deal with both the present and future Spock (played by Zachary Quinto), who is actually his nemesis.

Yep, you read that right; Spock and Kirk actually started off on very, VERY, bad terms. You simply must watch the movie to grasp the situation.

For those who have watched Harold & Kumar, you must watch John Cho in his role as Hikaru Sulu. His first scene was hilarious!! :rotfl: Another laugh-till-you-cry scene is the 'mispronunciation' of a command issued by poor Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin) whose Russian slang was simply too much for the starship to interpret. There are many other funny scenes as the movie plays itself out (my favourite being the sudden appearance of Scotty, played by Simon Pegg) so you'll definitely be entertained.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="322" caption="Some of the crew for the Enterprise"][/caption]

I have to admit that the casting people did a great job in searching the perfect actors/actresses to play the characters. Not a single person was less than admirable in their assigned role.

Though the goofs are numerous, I personally think that the quality of Star Trek in its story-telling, CGI and overall factor is a step higher than X-Men Origins: Wolverine (my deepest apologies, Hugh Jackman). So if you love the Wolverine movie and you're a Trekkie, you'll love Star Trek. :-D

Scotty: I like this ship! It's exciting!

Movie Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

* Yoda warns, here might movie spoilers be, yes.

"Wow. Koo-koo-ka-choo got screwed," Logan smirked teasingly.

"Kuekuatsheu," the lovely brunette corrected. "Means the Wolverine."

From the brief glance I got as I was scanning the Web for that particular line from the movie, I gathered that many were unsatisfied with the latest movie, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Well, personally, I thought it was just nice, not too much, not too little.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="249" caption="Wolverine's new claws (from wearemoviegeeks.com)"][/caption]

Being around X-Men fans in my earlier days, I do know most of the storylines for the main characters but I never did read about the beginning of Wolverine, so I thought the filmmakers did quite well in explaining and compiling what made Logan turn into Wolverine. I left the cinema content in having all my questions answered. 1) Why is Wolverine so suspicious of people? - Answered. 2) How come Wolverine can't remember anything from his earlier life? - Answered. 3) How did William Stryker cross path with Wolverine? - Answered. 4) How did Logan come up with the name Wolverine? - Answered. If I were to list every single question I had on Wolverine, my post would just be a major Q&A. 8-)

But...I do realize that I'm not exactly gushing over the movie like I did with the movie Australia. Perhaps it is a movie that is nice to watch but not exactly memorable.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="This is how Gambit is supposed to look like (from comicmix.com)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1461" align="alignright" width="182" caption="But this is the Gambit that I got instead"][/caption]

There was one thing I was looking forward to but got extremely disappointed; Gambit a.k.a Remy LeBeau. Gambit is my all-time favourite among the X-Men. It's not just his playboy and cocky behaviour, it's the way he looks, the way he carries himself about, the way he talks with that slang of his. Well, you can kind of guess that I expected ALOT from whoever is playing Gambit, and sad to say, Taylor Kitsch is getting the short end of my stick. Taylor simply wasn't...Gambit enough. I felt he did the role half-heartedly, like he didn't study how Gambit moves and talks in the comics and in the cartoon version. In short, he was maybe, mmmm, 35% Gambit-like, not enough for a hardcore fan like me. And the first scene he appeared in, that hair of his combined with that silky purple shirt reminded me of Johnny Depp in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. Not exactly the first impression I wanted from my hero. :-(

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="164" caption="Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth (from daemonsmovies.com)"][/caption]

Back to the main character. You cannot deny that Hugh Jackman took the role of Wolverine to heart. Bad-tempered, foul-mouthed and always gearing for a fight, it is hard to imagine anyone else playing that role. He brought every emotion to life, from pure rage to sad acceptance, but still maintained that toughness that is uniquely Wolverine. Oooh, of course, who can forget the second-best actor in the movie, Liev Schreiber who played Sabretooth. I know most people expected a huge monster-like man but I think Liev carried the role quite splendidly.

You'll see some other X-Men villains and heroes in this movie, but if you don't know who they are, well, prepared to be flabbergasted with thoughts of "Who's that? Who's this?" The Blob, Bolt, Deadpool, Silver Fox, Emma Frost and even a young Scott Summers a.k.a Cyclops all made an appearance along with many others who we just can't recognize because their screen time was too short. Keep an eye out too for Professor Xavier. ;-)

Perhaps because the movie is new, or maybe the filmmakers did too good a job, there are not that many goofs. However, there is a goof in a scene where Wolverine was battling Agent Zero and a few army vehicles. When his adamantium claws come out, you can only see the bottom half of it, where else the sharpened part are totally gone, as though the motion graphic department and the script people weren't in sync with each other.

Another goof is the long-anticipated fight between Logan and Sabretooth. Just as the fight was getting good, Gambit came flying into the scene with his ever-ready long stick, creating quite a blast. The thing is...Gambit was punched out of commission by Logan before the fight and he was slumped in the same alley where the fight was. So how come Gambit came flying into the fight from the top of a nearby roof? ?:-)

So, is it a movie worth watching? Yes, definitely, go watch it in the cinema, even if it's just to satisfy your curiosity about one of the most popular X-Men characters. Maybe because I'm not one of those hardcore X-Men comic fans, I find the movie acceptable and within the high standards set by the first 3 X-Men movies,  but my brother and cousin, the extreme X-Men maniacs, might disagree.

William Stryker: You were sentenced to death for decapitating a Senior Officer. Your sentence was carried out by a firing squad at ten hundred hours. How'd that go?
Logan: It tickled.

Movie Review: Fast & Furious 4

*Ye be warned, ther' be spoilers ahead.

As I was writing the first draft of this post, I could hear the roaring engines of souped-up, modified and sports cars as they zoomed pass on the nearby highway, and I realized.....there was an increase of speeding cars and screeching tires ever since the opening of the speed-o-rama Fast & Furious. It was past midnight and I had already heard four rounds of engines being pushed to the limit. Then again, it could be the after-effect of the F1 race we just had at Sepang. :?

Anyway, back to the movie at hand.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="194" caption="Fast & Furious"][/caption]

The scene is set 5 years after The Fast & The Furious where we last saw Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) 'escaping' from undercover agent, Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and just before the start of The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift. Well, the duo are back in this latest installment rejoined by fellow actresses, Michelle Rodriquez (resuming the role of Dom's lover, Letty) and Jordana Brewster (resuming the part of Mia Toretto, Dom's sister).

I remember watching the first 5 minutes of the film, transfixed in my chair, as the opening scene pumped up my adrenaline with a high-speed chase and theft of a valuable commodity to all speedsters everywhere; a liquid gold called petrol. Trying to visually track the cars in the following hour-and-a-half scenes of mind-boggling and highly impossible car chases and races as they zoomed throughout the cinema screen proved too much for my eyes. Instead I ended up contenting myself with glimpses of flashing lights and shiny metal bodies followed, of course, by the cursing honks of innocent drivers.

However, I have to say that unlike Tokyo Drift, whereby I can relate tons of scenes at the drop of a hat from my first viewing, I have to think extra hard to remember Fast & Furious. At this moment, the foremost scene at the top of my head is at the beginning when the truck driver jumped out from his soon-to-be-doomed petrol carrier but not before saving his pet lizard. :| Of course, the car chases are always the best parts but other than that? It seems that the filmmakers just wanted to stretch whatever they could out of the first 3 movies, such as patching the plot hole of how Han (played by Sung Kang in Tokyo Drift) met up with Dom and simply continuing the story of what Dom was up to after he 'escaped'.

Although the film wasn't the best of the four, you have to give credit to the filmmakers for their ingenuity in adding new flavour to the races; by way of GPS. Yep, you guessed it, instead of using it to find your way when you're lost, Fast & Furious used it to outline the race course, through the busy city streets and facing oncoming traffic.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Brian O'Conner's choice of 'weapon'"][/caption]

Is it worth watching? Hell, yes, but only one time. :) I would only watch it again in the near future just to see Han's face and maybe in the further future just to refresh my memory of the storyline. In my opinion, it's not a must-watch-over-and-over-until-I-die film like I did with Tokyo Drift. For the men, this film is a non-stop orgasm of fast cars and skimpily-dressed women. Drool over the lovingly-constructed engine by Letty, and look on in jealousy as Brian O'Conner picked not one but three compounded speedsters just for his mission (and wince in agony as he inevitably wreck them). For the women, we~ll, unless you like cars and speed or an action-packed movie, the only thing that might keep you going is the male actors. *shrug*

It is in my opinion as a former media studies student that the filmmakers did one major mistake in this movie; they killed off someone. No, I won't mention the name but I still think it created a sort of standstill in making future installments of the movie. Perhaps the filmmakers thought that it would help add some spice or help to push the movie in another direction if there will ever be a Fast & Furious 5.

For my fellow Malaysians, there are not much scenes that require censorship so watching it in the cinema is A-OK.

So, as usual, here are the list of goofs courtesy of the Internet Movie Database. Truth be told, I didn't notice any goofs so they must have worked hard to edit in as much action scenes as they could to make any mistakes unnoticeable, ahhaha.

Best quote from the movie:

Brian O'Conner: This is where my jurisdiction ends.
Dominic Toretto: And this is where mine begins.

Movie Review: Watchmen

* Warning: May contain movie spoilers.

I wriggled in my cinema seat for the umpteenth time, trying my best to find a more comfortable position. It wasn't the seat that was making me restless, however, it was the movie we've chosen for the night.

Watchmen is originally a 12-issue comic published by DC Comics back in the mid-80s. What makes the superheroes in Watchmen different from other comic superheroes is the fact that they are not superheroes at all, in many aspects. When we hear 'superhero', we usually think of characters like Superman with his alien powers or Batman with his strong sense of justice. The Watchmen characters, however, are a deconstruction of the superhero concept, proving that underneath their masks, they are still humans with their anxieties, disorders and destructive tendencies.

Since I have never read the comic version, I am unable to say whether the movie did justice to its origins. But I can say that I find Watchmen similar to Sin City the movie. The narration style is interesting as the narrator changes every so often, providing insight into the thoughts and stories of the main characters. The editing style comprises of numerous flashbacks to the point I couldn't tell whether it was the past or the present. In my friend's opinion, he described the cinematography as 'staying true to the comic-story-style.'

Honestly, I don't quite like the movie. While I like how the plot dives into the horrors of the human minds and actions, especially the twistedness of the Comedian (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan), it was just too slow with too many twists and turns to make it enjoyable in one seating. I find myself wishing I could pause it and watch the ending later.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="170" caption="Comedian's Trademark Badge"][/caption]

Speaking of the Comedian, Edward Blake (the real identity of the masked man) is far from a humourous man, his view on the world majorly distorted from the Watchmen's goals. The Comedian is part of the original Watchmen team formed in the 1940s and reformed 20 years later with new members. The original and new team members are either arrested, dead, murdered or forced into retirement when a ruling against masked vigilantes came out. However, the murder of the Comedian forced Rorschach, a.k.a. Walter Kovacs (played by Jackie Earle Haley), to seek out the rest of his team.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Rorschach"][/caption]

I never did understand how those ink splotches on Rorschach's mask moves around. Is it a play on your imagination or does it really moves on its own? In my opinion, Rorschach is the most memorable hero in the movie and he has the best lines so pay attention to what he says and try not to let his gravelly voice grate on your nerves like it did to me. His story is one of the best and it should be because he is the main narrator for the movie.

The only one who has actual powers is Dr Manhattan, a.k.a. Jon Osterman (acted by Billy Crudup), the totally blue, totally naked bald man with diminishing human emotions. There's a mild sex scene featuring him that is quite funny so keep a look out for it. Also, look for the constantly blurred private part, which just pulls your attention to it whenever there's a full body shot of him. :D

Since we're on the sex issue, the building romance between two other main characters, Silk Spectre II (Laurie Juspeczyk, acted by Malin Akerman) and Night Owl II (Dan Dreiberg, played by Patrick Wilson) is one that is expected, and annoying. Annoying because they just couldn't keep their hands off each other. There were so many unnecessary scenes involving their relationship and after about 3 scenes of them, I couldn't help but lift my hands up in frustration. Yes, they want each other, they lust for each other, we get it, move on with the plot. :x

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="The Original Watchmen in the movie"][/caption]

For those seeking action, don't worry, the violence and gore is on a high scale, so yes, you will get your kicks out of the bloody scenes. Oh, yes, action  and fighting scenes are abundant as well, especially the prison chapter. All in all, you can say Watchmen is filled with dark humour and insights into the distorted side of the human nature but is well-balanced with the goodness and unexpected kindness of humanity. The ending will throw you into a loop as you see how evil needed to be done to the innocents for the good of the world. But seriously, and I rarely say this, don't watch it in the cinema. It's too long, complicated and the censorship can drive you nuts at times.

What attracted me most about the movie was its soundtrack. Since it's set in the 1980s, the songs used are kind of like evergreen music and oldies your parents listen to, which contrast greatly with the fast-beat, hyper, rock-like music they used for the action scenes.

By the way, since Watchmen is set in New York City, you will see the World Trade Centers intact in a few city scenes. Those who have lost loved ones during September 11 is advised to keep an open mind when watching this film.

As usual, here are the goofs some viewers found while watching the movie. This time, I think it's okay if you want to read the goofs first as the movie is not what I would say a must-see.

Best line from the movie that my friend and I love to quote is by Rorschach:

"You people don't understand. I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me!"

Movie Review: Seven Pounds

* Warning: Possible movie spoilers alert.

It has been said (by who, I am unsure) that 'He who saves others from trouble is the one who is saved.' In the religious context, I believe it refers to those who help others in order to clean their sins or to receive rewards during Judgment Day. In the more popular concept, I believe it leans more towards people helping others to make up for the mistakes and sins they themselves have made, such as Ben Thomas (played by Will Smith) in Seven Pounds. Speaking of which, it looks as though Will Smith himself has lost seven pounds in the film because his usually-rounder face looks thin and haggard, or perhaps it's just the cinema make-up.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Ben Thomas"][/caption]

A highly depressed IRS tax collector, Ben Thomas is on a quest to drastically change seven peoples' life. However, in the first 5 minutes, you start to seriously doubt that he's a good Samaritan as he starts berating and bullying a blind tele-caller. Then you start to wonder whether he's off his rockers because as soon as the blind tele-caller hangs up, Ben Thomas starts throwing a tantrum and yelling out unrecognized names.

Here's a warning: Seven Pounds is not for the impatient movie-goer. The style the filmmakers used is filled with countless flashbacks (which you wouldn't even know it's a flashback because it's not in sepia/black-&-white or with blurred edges). The time sequence is all wrong, going forward then rewinding to the past for a while then continuing into the present, and this sequence is repeated throughout, possibly driving you crazy. So if you're not into the 'artsy wartsy' (as my friend calls it) type of movie, it's best if you get someone to just tell you the story-line.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="182" caption="Seven Pounds"][/caption]

Also, it's not for the impatient movie-goer because the pace is slow. About 20 minutes into the show, you can kind of guess for yourself that Ben Thomas is trying to make up for some bad thing he did, but it takes another hour before you will truly know why he's doing this personal mission. The thing is, I believe there are many unnecessary scenes that would have cut this 2-hour movie into 1 hour and 30 minutes. There are also scenes that I believe need more 'meat', which would have made the movie more interesting and less slow-paced.

There is a romantic plot in Seven Pounds as Ben Thomas finds himself falling for one of the seven people he's helping (yes, it's a girl :P ). Personally, I find the love story too heavy and too dragging but there are sweet scenes involved that show just how far Ben Thomas would go for someone who used to be a total stranger. Oh, there's a mild sex scene too so try not to bring your underaged children to watch this movie.

Another reason not to bring any underaged children is the ending. As touching as it is (made me spill a lone tear :cry: ), it is somewhat disturbing to those who are sensitive to death. Anyone who has lost someone to suicide is advised to keep an open mind. It is at the ending that you get the complete full picture of who Ben Thomas really is and what he's trying to do and why. And you will discover that nothing is what it seems and that Ben Thomas is actually not Ben Thomas. Hence the movie tagline: Seven Names. Seven Strangers. One Secret.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="239" caption="Ezra Turner 'seeing' Ben Thomas for the first time."][/caption]

Although Rosario Dawson (who plays Emily Posa in Seven Pounds) shared major movie time with Will Smith, I don't find her as memorable as the blind tele-caller, Ezra Turner (played by Woody Harrelson) and the pitiful old lady at the nursing home, Inez (played by the often-forgotten Fiona Hale).

While there are some viewers and critics who rave about this movie, I, while finding it interesting and insightful, believe that it could have been better. I respect what Ben Thomas did, though, even if I don't quite like how he did it. Seven Pounds make you wonder whether such a person exists and it makes you realize that everybody can help make the world a better place, even a suicidal depressed tax agent who keeps a box jellyfish as a pet. 8O

The ending would have worked perfectly if only the filmmakers did their research properly, instead the goofs made a few scenes improbable. As usual, please read the goofs only AFTER seeing the movie as the IMDB goofs contain spoilers.

"It is within my power to drastically change his cirumstances, but I don't want to give that man a gift he doesn't deserve."

Movie Review: Punisher:WarZone

* Warning: Movie spoilers alert.

The first thing I simply must say about Punisher: War Zone is.....something has gone totally wrong!!!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="193" caption="Punisher: War Zone"][/caption]

Thomas Jane, the former Punisher, is replaced by Ray Stevenson in the continuation of Frank Castle's reign of punishment upon the evil. While gunning down the crimelords and their family one by one, Frank Castle unfortunately killed an undercover FBI agent and seriously mutilated what is possibly the vainest and meanest villain, Jigsaw (played by Dominic West). Driven to regret by the agent's death at his hands, Frank was about to hang up his Punisher belt when Jigsaw starts terrorizing the city with his demented brother, Looney Bin Jim (Doug Hutchison). Encouraged by his friends, the Punisher decided to make Jigsaw his last 'disciplinary problem'. As the Punisher say, "Let me put you out of my misery."

The problem with this sequeal to 2004's Punisher is the inconsistency of details. Anyone who have watched the previous Punisher would know how Frank Castle's family died (in a total wipe-out at his family reunion) and that he had only one child, a son. When this new Punisher flashbacked the death of his family, they visually described it as a family picnic gone wrong when they witnessed a crime, and they portrayed one son and one daughter. :? Hello?? Can we get the story straight here please?

The plot of Punisher: War Zone was not one that pries any deeper into Frank Castle's life. To me, it seems like Hollywood just needed to make a sequel of yet another comic hero and introduce one of the hero's biggest villains. However, the movie meshed nicely but the movement was erratic; up, down, left, up, down, right. Every movie has a certain movement, enabling the audience to foresee when's the climax, when's the ending, but the new Punisher was unreadable. You didn't know what could be coming next.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="259" caption="No revenge, just punishment"][/caption]

Sorry to say but Ray Stevenson was not very memorable in the movie. Instead, my attention was snatched away by the forever-meth-high jumper Maginty (T.J. Storm) and the silent brooding gun-buyer Carlos (Carlos Gonzalez-vlo). There's something about them that captures your attention away from the other stars and extras.

All in all, the movie was just a good show to watch and is perfect for those who love gore and violence. For my fellow Malaysians, though, I probably should warn you that our beloved censorship board has wiped out most of the goriest scenes, like the body of Micro's mom (Punisher's gun supplier) and the execution of the first crimelord. Also, the censor of the foul language was somewhat weird, as 'shit' was often left intact, and while they tried to delete 'f*ck' from the dialogue, they ended up deleting every else BUT 'f*ck'. If you want to watch the undisturbed movie, I think it's better if you catch it on 'DVD' (when I say this, my fellow Malaysians know what I mean ;) ) than watching it in our local cinemas.

The Punisher may be set on punishing evil-doers, but at times he seem so set on his goal that he didn't realize the goofs (very minimal) he and others made in the movie. Be sure to refresh your memory with the original Punisher movie, though, just to get the feel of how he became the dark judge-jury-and-executioner.

Best quote from Punisher: War Zone : "If I see you anywhere near Hell, I'll kick your ass out."

Review: Valkyrie

* Warning: movie spoilers alert.

The sightless eye stares back at you as a last fleeting memory appears in the mind, known only to the bearer. The light from the eye slowly fades as life escapes the now-empty shell of what was once a great soldier. It is true what Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg said as he was about to face his execution; "Look them in the eye. They'll remember you."

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="181" caption="Colonel Stauffenberg"][/caption]

Tom Cruise played the aforementioned colonel in the latest insight of Adolf Hitler's reign in World War II, VALKYRIE. A loyal soldier who is unpleased with the dictator's act, Colonel Stauffenberg broods on his oath of allegiance to his Fuhrer and the contradiction it has on his conscience and his beloved country. His camp is then attacked where he lost his left eye, his right hand and two fingers from his left hand. He finds that he can no longer stay silent as more soldiers are injured or killed and joins the German resistance in hopes of overthrowing Hilter's government before Germany and Europe are destroyed. His plan was simple yet dangerous; to use Hilter's own emergency plan, 'Operation Valkyrie'. This plan requires help on almost all levels, from communications to operations to getting Hitler to sign the new Operation Valkyrie as revised by Colonel Stauffenberg himself. Colonel Stauffenberg is seen as the best man to run the resistance army and is given full support by his fellow-men. However, he finds himself in the position of having to assasinate Hitler himself.

Based on a true story, this film has everything a war suspense movie should be made of; enough war action, endless strategies, unexpected errors and mistakes, and moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. I don't quite understand why the critics and people are giving Tom Cruise a hard time over his acting. While I do admit there are moments where Tom Cruise overacted slightly, his acting skills are still top-notch in this movie. I personally don't believe one should criticize an actor's work because of his personal life. Work is work, personal life is personal.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="288" caption="The headmen of Valkyrie"][/caption]

Anyway, back to the film. The movie starts in German as Colonel Stauffenberg narrates what he pens down in his private journal but later, eases to English (why?) so do not think that this is a foreign film with subtitles. There are no sex scenes in this movie so don't expect any. There aren't even that many women in the movie so don't expect any sexy ladies either. What this film shows is the hierarchy of the German army and how hidden in almost every level is a resistance soldier, armed with information and authority that helped push the Valkyrie operation into effect. It also shows the many risks that are involved and the numerous holes where the operation could go wrong, from the chickening-out of a high-ranking officer to an unnoticed movement by an uninvolved soldier. Alas, though the plan should have gone on perfectly, Hitler did not die.

Among the 15 known assasination attempts on Hitler's life, Colonel Stauffenberg's movement is perhaps the most elaborate, consisting of many high-ranked officers and lower-level soldiers, and the one that went the furthest, pushing the reserve army into occupying Berlin and arresting most of Hitler's loyal officers, not to mention actually injuring Hitler slightly.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="148" caption="Lieutenant Haeften"][/caption]

The ending of the movie is one that will pull your heartstrings as one by one, the conspirators are captured and executed. Perhaps, the most touching part of the ending is the act of the extremely loyal assistant of Colonel Stauffenberg. A soldier who does whatever is requested by the Colonel, Lieutenant Werner von Haeften (played by Jamie Parker) rushes to his Colonel's side as he faces the firing squad. Standing infront of Colonel Stauffenberg with his back to the executioners, Lieutenant Haeften takes the firing bullets for his Colonel. Now alone, Colonel Stauffenberg braves himself and manages to shout a last wish before the bullets rain down his body; "Long live Sacred Germany!"

I do believe that the occupation of Hitler's Germany would have worked if only a few minor details were worked out perfectly. One is the placement of the bomb which was supposed to kill Hitler. If only Colonel Stauffenberg had planned this detail more carefully, it would have worked. Another is the delay by General Friedrich Olbricht (played by Bill Nighy) in mobilizing the Reserve Army. If it was earlier, I think regardless of the many mistakes, the resistance would have won. The most ironic thing is Hitler committed suicide nine months after this movement. :-?

By the way, Colonel Stauffenberg left behind 4 children and a wife, Nina von Stauffenberg, who was pregnant with the 5th child. The widow passed away just 3 years ago, in 2006. His grandson, Philipp von Schulthess, was in the movie, playing an aide to Major-General Henning von Tresckow.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBxK3frsbxA

At the length of approximately 2 hours, it is my personal opinion that Valkyrie is a great watch. It requires some thinking so if you're not in the mood, then I recommend going for it another day. But I guess no matter how good a movie is, there will always be some errors here and there, as Internet Movie DataBase reported in its website (PLEASE don't see the goofs until you see the movie because it contains spoilers.).

Many saw evil. They dared to stop it.

Review: Yes Man

*Warning: Spoilers alert.

Imagine, if you will, a life where every time a question is asked of you and whenever an opportunity presents itself, your answer is 'Yes' and only 'Yes'. No 'Maybe', no 'Perhaps', definitely no 'No', just a simple 'Yes' or an 'Ok'.

"Would you like to learn to play the guitar?" - Yes

"Do you want to learn to fly a plane?" - Yes

"Can you approve my business loan to sell fertilizer?" - YES

"How would you like to find your true love on Persianwife.com?" - YES

"Do you want to join me for a 6 a.m. jog and photo session?" - YES

"Are you coming to my 'Harry Potter' costume party?" - YES

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Jim Carrey in 'Yes Man'"][/caption]

Well, that's the life of Carl Allen, played by Jim Carrey, in his newest comedy, Yes Man. A lonely and dejected man, Carl says no to almost everything and anything that comes his way, not even able to generate any enthusiasm or energy to meet up with his best friends. One day, an old friend introduced Carl to the 'Yes' program and after a very realistic albeit funny/crazy nightmare, Carl finally got off his butt to attend the seminar and, to quote Carl, 'The era of "yes" has begun.'

It's been a while since I laughed so much watching a movie and it's also been a while since Jim Carrey made a really good comedy (the last funny one that I remember is 'Fun with Dick and Jane' but I didn't laugh as much as I did with this new film). Roughly an hour and 40 minutes long, the film flows effortlessly from beginning to end with only a few minor scenes being boring or uneventful. You'll get caught up in the many situations the character finds himself in and you'll be surprised at how everything he has done with 'Yes' comes back to help him later on, from saving a suicidal man with his recently-learnt guitar playing to engaging the help of a rude saleswoman with his raw Korean. It just goes to show that you'll never know which skills you learn and which people you meet will prove useful in life.

As usual, a comedy movie of life filled with so much ups and downs should include a woman and Carl is no exception, meeting up with an interesting girl as soon as he started saying 'Yes' to everything. However, saying 'yes' all the time to everything doesn't keep one out of trouble as Carl soon found out. Held under arrest, accused of being a terrorist, losing his new love interest and ending up in a hospital, Carl discovered that one should say 'yes' even when one doesn't want to, but one should also use common sense in when to say 'yes'.

For Malaysian viewers, let me warn you now that there are some censored scenes, not much, not major, but there are some. The most obvious, and one that would definitely be missed for those who don't get it, is the motorcycle action scene near the end of the movie. The scene that was cut was just a short one showing Jim Carrey's butt. It's not essential to the plot but it's a funny one. :-D Another noticeable thing about this movie is the many references to popular films, such as '300', 'Transformers', 'Saw' and 'Harry Potter'. I'm unsure as to why the editors paid so much screen time to other movies (perhaps they were made by the same production company or something?) but you'll definitely notice it.

Yes Man is truly an enjoyable movie and I recommend you to watch it with your friends and family, not just with your spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend. It's just what you need to cheer you up or to relax you after a hard day's work. I was so engrossed with the plot that I hardly noticed the numerous goofs in the film (shame on this screen studies student). Oh, before I forget, do bring a bottle of water; the amount of laughter you'll be doing will definitely have you coughing and in need of liquid for your parched yet happy throat. Enjoy!! :-D

Review: Australia

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oy, oy, oy!!

It's been a while since my university days in Perth, Australia, so listening to the slang in Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman's latest movie, 'Australia', brought back some nostalgic memories. A word of advice before you go off to watch 'Australia'; it is really long, about 2 and a half hours. If you are the type who, like me, is unable to tolerate noisy and fidgety movie audience, it's better if you watch it in GSC's Gold Class.

Now, I must warn you that those with strong racial feelings and heavily connected to Australia (such as an Australian, an Aboriginal or a Torres Strait Islander) are not recommended to watch this film. Like most historical movies, there are some scenes and dialogues that certain people might find sensitive or offensive. Example: For Malaysians, when we did the Tunku musical (a theater show of our first prime minister), the scene with the racial fights between the Chinese and Malays as well as the raping of our women brought back many unhappy memories to those who had lived through that tumultuous time. In 'Australia', be prepared for racism, indications of rape, some nature of magic and war scenes. If you can handle all these then by all means, watch it. You will definitely enjoy it. And no, it's not one of those serious historical drama. I thought it was, too, when I first saw the trailer. How wrong I was.

The movie starts off with a brief history of the 'stolen generation' and you'll hear the voice of a half-Aboriginal half-white child, Nullah (played by Brandon  Walters), narrating the story. Although it begins on a serious note, 10 minutes later, you'll start laughing at Nicole Kidman's character, an English aristocrat by the name of Lady Sarah Ashley, as she meet up with the rough cattle driver, Drover (Hugh Jackman). From the start, you can see the chemistry between Lady Ashley and Drover, not unlike the couple you often read in romance novels. You'll get caught up with their relationship throughout the movie as their emotions move from despising each other to mutual respect to finally, love.

You simply must keep an eye on Nullah, the boy who often refers to himself as 'creamy', one who is not black or white but somewhere in between. Although the attention is focused on Lady Ashley and Drover (perhaps because of the actors representing the characters), I believe that the true star of the movie is this young boy. His story is one that will make you feel sympathy, fear and love for him, and at the end of the movie, you'll understand why Lady Ashley tries so hard to keep him as her own child. By the way, being raised by his Aboriginal grandfather, King George, Nullah has learned the traits and customs of his ancestors, and you'll see him perform certain rituals and songs of the Aborigines. He has a lovely singing voice. :) He also has an interesting use of words, with sentences that will make you laugh such as, "We gotta get those fat cheeky bulls into that big bloody metal ship!" I don't remember whether the Aboriginals I met in Australia talked like that. :D

As with every film, there's always a villain, and the problem with 'Australia' is I keep getting the villain (Neil Fletcher, played by David Wenham) mixed up with the helpful army soldier, Captain Dutton (Ben Mendelsohn). The face expression that they make is quite similar, especially with the squinty eyes and the downward frown. But don't worry, you'll find many reasons to truly depise the cunning Neil Fletcher as he goes out of his way to make Lady Ashley's life miserable in the land down under, since he was deprived of taking over the ranch her late husband left when he was murdered.

I love 'Australia' immensely, not just because of the tremendously convincing acting, but how well everything (the plot, the historical events) merged together. Though long, every scene effortlessly flows into the next, and time becomes irrelevant as you get caught up in the story, the history, the romance, and the action. It is truly one movie to watch before you end the year of 2008.

As usual (I love doing this), check out the goofs from 'Australia' after you come back from the film. Though the film is directed by Baz Luhrmann, even the best of the best make mistakes. :D

Review: The Day The Earth Stood Still

As I sit here, fingers at the ready on my keyboard, I suddenly realized that I have no idea how to start reviewing Keanu Reeves's latest film, 'The Day The Earth Stood Still'. I've been staring at the computer screen for almost 10 minutes and it only came to my attention now that this is one of those rare times when I simply can't find the words to begin an entry. Does this mean the movie has no effect on me whatsoever?

A remake of the 1951 film of the same name, the movie is about an alien that came to save Earth from the humans, who are seen as a destructive factor to the blue planet. Apparently, Earth is one of very few planets in the entire solar system that can support life, and Klaatu (the alien played by Keanu Reeves) has been assigned to activate the move to save all life beings on the planet.....except the human race.

When I first saw Keanu Reeves in the trailer of 'The Day The Earth Stood Still' (hence forth will be referred to as TDTESS), I had the impression that I was watching him play Constantine all over again. It's kinda hard to differentiate his characters when his facial expression is almost always the same in every movie, and especially when the feel of TDTESS is similar to Constantine (guardian of hell vs bringer of end of the world). But to give him credit, he did bring the alien character, Klaatu, to life, but only for the first part of the movie. After that, he simply wasn't memorable enough. I did, however, like the part when he verbally put the President's secretary in her place. :D

That reminds me, it seems that in the movie world, whenever an alien comes to Earth, they always seem to land in America. Why is that?

Throughout the movie, you'll start to wonder whether TDTESS is trying to show America in a bad light. Just because Klaatu and his giant sphere and robotic anti-violence friend landed in Central Park, the US government refused to let any foreign scientist or other nations from having any contact with the alien, and the President's secretary wasn't open to the idea of letting him speak to the the gathering of world leaders, indicating in her own way that the US speaks for the entire world. Then comes the violence from the US soldiers. It was bad enough that some jumpy soldier decided to open fire on Klaatu when all he wanted was to communicate with Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly), but to use firepower of tanks and fighter jets on the big-ass robot? Not very smart. No wonder Klaatu's people think humans are scum, 'coz in just a short phase, we've shown just how selfish and violent we are, not just to each other, but to other beings. Some welcome wagon we are. :P

As for Will Smith's son, I didn't realize that Jaden Smith was acting as Dr. Helen Benson's step-son at the time, but I remembered thinking how annoying the character was.

Truth be told, the movie started off well. The script was good with bits and pieces of comedy here and there as well as sharp words that strike at the human core, such as Klaatu saying, "If the Earth dies, you die. If the human race dies, the Earth survives." There was adequate action scenes what with the fighter jets flying through New York's skyscrapers and the steel(?) locusts wrecking havoc in their path. However, the ending was just.....anti-climatic. You get the feeling that the movie never really ended and you sit there in the cinema, still expecting more even though the end credits are already rolling. But you have to admit, the movie makes you think, especially the constantly repeated sentence of humans only changing when they reach the precipice, the turning-point.

Do we really? Will we finally change our ways when we see that the Earth can no longer tolerate our inconsiderateness, our selfishness? Will we be like Klaatu's people who only changed when they saw their sun dying? Will we then finally stop taking and start giving? Maybe we will, maybe we won't.

So, I personally think that TDTESS is good for passing the time and maybe for making your brain work a little, but as a blockbuster, it may not match up to most people's expectations. But if you are going to watch it, keep an eye out for these goofs at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970416/goofs that IMDB found throughout the movie. I hope you'll at least have a good time in the cinema. :D

Meet Sean Yap

No, this is not the sequel to 'Meet Joe Black' or a Malaysian version of it. This is an introduction to someone I truly respect and admire, someone who overcame hurdles and rocky roads to chase after a dream that many have said to be impossible and nonprofitable.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="192" caption="Sean Yap"][/caption]

Confident, forever optimistic and incredibly daring, Sean Yap realized, one day, that life was too short to waste and decided to pursue his dream of becoming an actor.....and has never looked back since. Dragging himself out from the rat race a few years ago, he took some time out for his dream and took acting classes. There he learned the basic skills that every budding actor needs in order to penetrate the tough, and often fickle, industry.

Now, we have heard and seen many people who often say that they want to pursue a certain dream but in the end, they often do not, mainly because of discouragement from others and because of lack of motivation and inspiration. Many also like to claim that they are too old to achieve their dream, but Sean does not let age, inexperience nor discouraging words deter him from his acting. If achieving your dream was easy, then it wouldn't be so special, would it?

It wasn't that simple to enter the acting world but making friends during his classes helped him to meet other people in the industry, and soon he landed a role in the first short film I have seen him in; Unsecured Loan.

Sean Yap played the lead character, Brian, who borrowed money from the triads. Because of his close relationship with the head of the triads, Brian thought he would be given special treatment.....he was wrong.

It was a flurry of activity after his acting debut and Sean continued going to one audition after another, getting offer after offer, and continuously traveled to Singapore where most of the shoots and auditions were held. Below are some of the films he has acted in; playing an undercover policeman in The Investigators, a mortician in Meet Charles Young, a man with amnesia in Crash, and a serial killer in Emperor, the prequel to Unsecured Loan.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="242" caption="The Investigators"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="198" caption="Meet Charles Young"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="209" caption="Crash"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="206" caption="Emperor"][/caption]

Also, watch out for his performances as a widower in Mary-Jane, a psychic in Anything Whatever TVC - 'Ah Gong & Prof DD', an antagonist in Mnemonic, John Doe in Battery, and a commanding officer in the virtual world film Imaginator. All the films in bold red are still in post-production.

Aside from short films, he also dabbled in stage plays such as a singing extra in Tunku the Musical and as a sexually abused brother in The Two Brothers. Not all his roles were lead or big enough to take note of. Sometimes one has to be humble and take less than desirable roles in order to gain more experience and knowledge (hence the saying, 'There are no small roles, only small actors'). Sean had a small gig as an illegal car park attendant in the television program, 3R, and as a 'colleague' and 'doorman' in the corporate video, Singapore Foreign Affairs. He also managed to land some TV roles, playing the bartender Bobby in episode 7 of NTV7's Frontpage, a lawyer in episode 8, 9 and 10 in AstroRia's Lima as well as an abusive father in Singapore Success Stories: Mary Chai.

It just goes to show that anyone, regardless of age and ability, can achieve their dream. They only have to take that first step to start the journey and then keep on going and gain the momentum needed until finally reaching the pinnacle. The dream can still continue on even after that, but only if you want to.

For Sean, although there were times when he lost his inspiration, he still pushed himself to go on because he knows he can do it, because there are still lots of opportunities. He is still going strong. :)

Review: Body of Lies

My hand flew to my mouth in shock when the bomb exploded, my mind still fresh with the face of a sweet elderly Chinese woman holding bright yellow flowers as she posed for her husband's camera at the famous tourist market. Tears slowly trailed down my cheeks as I stared in silent anguish at the destruction the bomb caused, her smiling face still floating around in my mind mixed with repeated thoughts of "She's never going to smile again. She's dead."

That is what I will remember. If anyone at any time asks me how Leonardo diCaprio's movie, Body of Lies, was, that is the first scene that will pop into my head.

At a length of slightly over 2 hours, Body of Lies is great for those who want something more intellectual and different from the fluff that are shown most of the time in the cinema. It has violence, foul language and acts of betrayal and conspiracy mixed in with the rage of war. By the time you reach the end of the movie, you won't know who to trust anymore and you will see the world and everyone around you in a whole  new paranoid light. It is definitely not for the faint-hearted, especially during some of the torture scenes. I actually had my eyes closed when Leonardo's character got his fingers bashed.

Although it seems like every other spy-war movie, you'll definitely see a major difference just from one character in particular. Hani, played by Mark Strong, is a very powerful man who will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. But he does not soil his hands with torture and blood, no, he uses better, somewhat kinder methods to get information. Partnering with Leo's character, Roger Ferris, Hani only had one very simple rule; never lie to him. You can say that he is a benevolent man armed not with guns and grenades but with a strong belief in trust and a hard grip on integrity.

However, like every single spy-war movie I've seen, there must always be a girl. Take Spy Game starring Brad Pitt and Robert Redford for example. I thought the plot was good but getting into trouble in the middle of a U.S. and China trade agreement because of a girl? Does that really happen in real life? The same thing goes for Body of Lies; the heroine was supposedly kidnapped and the hero goes off and drops everything to save her. I didn't see him go to that much extra lengths to save the guy he framed in order to arrest the real master mind.

The movie started off great, suspense and action in all the right dosage...until you reach the hour and 20-minute mark. That's when you'll start glancing at your watch and wonder, "How long more?" This restlessness will continue for another 20 minutes until finally, the climax of the movie starts.

Body of Lies is worth a watch but only for those who can follow the politics of war and understand certain Muslim references. For those who have watched it, have you seen the goofs at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758774/goofs? I love to take note of irregularities in movies and IMDB (Internet Movie DataBase) is one of the best websites to spot mistakes that the movie directors made. :D

Bolt-ed by 3D

As I sat in the slightly darkened cinema, I stared at the piece of black equipment in my hand. Still pondering, I saw that the shiny lenses had smudges on them and proceeded to wipe them clean with the corner of my shirt. I finally decided to put it on…and immediately felt uncomfortable. No matter how far I pushed it up, adjusted it or held it up with my hand, I could not for the life of me feel at ease. The thing that was the bane of my existence for an hour and a half was a plastic eye-wear known as the 3D glasses.

My good friend wanted to watch that new Disney animation, Bolt, yesterday and decided to try the 3D show instead of the regular cinema session. Before we went into the cinema hall, I asked whether I could wear the 3D glasses since I’m already wearing spectacles. My friend assured me that it was possible and that he saw his friend do it once before. Well, based on my new-found experience, yeah, you definitely can wear the 3D glasses over your regular glasses, sure, no problem at all. BUT…be prepared for what could possibly be one of _the_ most uncomfortable cinema experience ever.

My glasses is one of those thick frame kind so when I wore the 3D glasses, it ended up perched right on the tip of my nose. If I so much as giggle, the shiny rainbow lenses will drop off onto my lap. So throughout the entire movie, I had to hold it up with my hand, which got tiring after a while.

I wonder why they don’t provide better 3D glasses. Don’t they have those that can fit over our regular spectacles? Bigger and rounded ones, sort of like goggles? I mean, surely, the cinema management realizes that some movie-goers wear glasses. Shouldn’t they at least provide better quality 3D glasses for the price we pay?

I know what some of you are thinking, “Why don’t you wear contact lenses? Wouldn’t that be easier for you?” Well, certainly for those who do wear contact lenses, it wouldn’t matter, but have you seen 10-year-olds with spectacles going to the movies? They’re too young to wear contacts and of course, the parents would like them to enjoy a 3D cartoon at least once in their young life. So either the cinema should re-think their current 3D glasses or the company that makes 3D glasses should come up with those that can fit over regular eyewear.

This reminds me of the time when my ex-boyfriend wanted to go on a 3D ride at Genting Highland’s amusement park. The glasses we were given then were far worse than the ones from the cinema. These 3D glasses weren’t glasses at all; they were the cheap paper lenses type that you normally find in children’s book. Needless to say, I didn’t enjoy the ride one single bit ‘coz…I couldn’t see anything as I had to remove my spectacles to wear the blasted thing.

By the way, though Bolt was great as a movie (you really should read the goofs I found from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397892/goofs), seeing it in 3D wasn’t much different from the regular viewing. It had action, yes, but none that would make you squeal or scream or duck your head thinking that a piece of vehicle was coming for your face. But for movies such as Journey To The Center Of The Earth,  ahhhhh, the 3D glasses would make you pee in your pants!! I watched it in its original form and the scenes drove me crazy with its realism and non-stop creatures and objects flying towards me, what more if I had watched the 3D version.

So, yeah, to summarize, watch Bolt (good acting and plot), don’t go for Bolt 3D (not much difference unless you really want to watch it) and wear contacts if you do watch Bolt 3D (or be prepared for major discomfort).

Twilight Mania

Ok, I will admit that I, along with the thousands and millions across the world, have gone and watched Twilight, the movie based on the bestselling novel of the same name, Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1), by Stephenie Meyer. Now, the reason why I'm shyly admitting this fact is because Twilight is actually categorized under teen fiction, just like Harry Potter, but also just like Harry Potter, the book was so great that it transcended all ages.

Don't take this the wrong way but I am never a fan of something that is hugely popular. Let's take Titanic for instance. Everyone I know have watched it, whether in the cinema or DVD or HBO. Me, I still haven't sat down and watch the movie in full. Those who know that have exclaimed in disbelief and proceeded to describe to me in full detail why I must watch it.

Another example is Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. Though at one point in time, I was selling the book and recommending it to my customers, I never felt any inclination to read it. I did watch the movie though but only 'coz Tom Hanks was acting in it. Now I can't wait for the continuation, Angels and Demons. :D

Last but definitely not least, is the Harry Potter mania. Mind you, I didn't start off as a Harry Potter fan. I was in Australia when the first movie came out and I was wondering why people of all ages were buying this red book with such a childish picture on it (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first book of the series). It was only when my Malaysian friend dragged me to the cinema and insisted on paying my movie ticket did I finally understand the magic (pun intended) of Harry Potter.

But I'm getting away from my topic. So why is Twilight so successful? For the life of me, I don't understand.

Let's look at the movie since I haven't read the book. It was a good selection on the actors and actresses alike. Acting was good. The plot was good too. My only dislike of the movie is the fact that the evil vampire, James, died too easily. For a vampire who is considered to be deadly dangerous and a ruthless hunter, he's sure easy to catch and dispose off.

Another flaw is when Edward (the hero) ran up the hill with Bella (the heroine) when he decided to show her how he looks like in sunlight. No, he didn't burn or melt or scream in agony, he just...twinkles. In all the vampire books I've read, I've never came across a glittering vampire. No bling bling required for this bloodsucker. But the glitter wasn't the flaw I meant. It was the way Edward ran up the hill. It was so fake. I mean, yeah, you can't expect Robert Pattison, the actor who played Edward, to be able to run like a panther up a tree-covered hill but please, his legs weren't even moving in a true running form. Note to editor, please make his running more believable in the next movie. Yes, it is confirmed that the second installation to the Twilight saga, New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2), will be coming out.

Some people may have realized that overseas, especially in America, the marketing for Twilight was on full-blast. Trailers, posters, t-shirts, the works. But in Malaysia, there was only a trickle of what America experienced. The first poster for the movie was seen at One Utama's TGV, which only came up a few days before its opening on November 27, 2008 while GSC only put up the poster the day itself. It was frustrating to the fans in Malaysia who weren't even sure if the movie was going to be shown here. Then came the confusion of the viewer rating, which was PL-18 at first, causing woes, moans and outbursts from the younger fans, and was abruptly changed to PG-13 a day before the movie. Tsk, tsk, tsk, such incompetence from the Malaysian censorship board and cinema management.

The thing I don't fully understand is, out of all the vampire books in the world, why is Twilight garnering the most attention, the movie deal, the millions of world currencies? I admit that after reading about Stephenie Meyer, she does deserve this fame and popularity, but still why aren't the rest of the vampire novelists getting this kind of attention?

Back in my teen life (which was light years ago), I was fixated by L.J. Smith, who also wrote teen fiction in which the heroes are almost always vampires. Her Night World series was one that my cousin and I couldn't get enough of, and apparently after researching the net, there are others like me who loved the series as well. And like Stephenie Meyer, who developed many different characters complete with their history, L.J. Smith also has numerous characters, all of who had their own personal story written in their own personal book.

Altogether, there are currently nine books in the Night World series with the last book still unpublished since the 90s. Seeing the attention Stephenie Meyer is getting must have woken up the publisher of L.J. Smith as her Night World series have been compiled into 3 books and were republished this year as Night World No. 1: Secret Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Spellbinder (Night World), Night World No. 2: Dark Angel; The Chosen; Soulmate (Night World) and Night World No. 3: Huntress, Black Dawn, Witchlight (Night World). I have to admit that I prefer the old book covers as you can really see the true image of the characters from each book. The final book was supposed to be out in fall 2008 but as usual, it has been delayed yet again. This has been the story over and over again since the last book was printed out. It makes one wonder whether L.J. Smith has gotten bored with the characters or whether she's having a very long writer's block.

Well, seeing that I have to endure more patience for the final volume of Night World and after listening to the raves and reviews of Twilight from my cousins, I may just head to the nearest bookstore and pick out the first book, just to see what all the fuss is about. And if I ever get converted to a Twilight fan...well, then it must be a great read. :D

By the way, the main song for the movie is awesome; Decode by Paramore. I like it so much that I even made a poster for the lyrics. Give it a listen. >D